Power winch control



Dec. 13, 1966 c. RAU ET AL 3,291,452

PQWER WINCH CONTROL Filed Oct. 21,-1965 8 3 F y Car/ Raw BY lf a/Wa/rmf7- Rwy United States Patent G 3,291,452 PUWER WINQH CUNTROL Carl Ramand Edward A. Ran, both of Hudson, 9. Dark. Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser.No. 499,710 3 Claims. (Cl. 254186) Our invention relates to a powerwinch control.

An object of our invention is to provide a control for a power winchwherein the winch can include a ratchet and pawl arrangement, andwherein the ratchet and pawl arrangement can be used to brake the winchas desired.

A further object of our invention is to provide a braking arrangementindependently of the ratchet arrang ment, and with means for providing aconvenient control in the same mechanism.

A further object of our invention is to provide a simple arrangementwhich will allow effective operation of the winch as well as the controlthereof.

A further object of our invention is to provide a simple control methodwherein the braking arrangements, as well as the ratchet arrangement,are operated by means of a single control rod and control lever.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of ourdevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the winch and control,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of FIGURE 1, partially in section,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 ofFIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional detail taken along the lines 55 ofFIGURE 2.

Our invention contemplates the provision of a conveniently operatedarrangement by which a power winch can be selectively controlled eitheras a ratchet arrangement or as a braking arrangement, or a combinationof both.

In describing our invention we have used the character lltl to designateside channel members, the character 11 indicating an end channel member,and the character 12 indicating further end channel members, thesemembers being secured together as shown to provide a supportingframework, the character 13 indicating suitable legs.

Attached to one end of this framework is a platform 14 upon which ismounted a gasoline engine 15 or other engine of any type, which drives ashaft 16 journalled in the bearing 17, the shaft 16 driving the pulley18, which in turn drives a V-belt 19, the V-belt 19 engaging a largerpulley 20, the character 21 indicating a transmission housing having ashift lever 22 by which the power and speed can be changed as desired,the character 23 indicating a shaft passing into the transmissionhousing, the shaft 23 being attached to a suitable connection 24 whichis attach d to the pulley 2t and the transmission 21 includes a furthershaft 25 which is journalled within the bearing 26 WHICH 15 attached toone of the members if), the character 27 indicating a sprocket driven bythe shaft 25, the said sprocket engaging a sprocket chain 28 whichengages a larger sprocket 29 which is rigidly attached to a reel 30,which reel 30 is attached to a shaft 31 which is suitably journalledwithin the members as at 32.

Securely attached to one end of the reel 30 is a ratchet member 33having the teeth 34. Wound upon the reel 30 is the cable 35 which isadapted to be used for lifting or any other purpose, and pivotallysecured at 36 to a member If) is the angle plate 37 to which is weldedthe angle member 38 having a slot 39 therein, through which ice slotpasses the rod 46, the character 41 indicating a collar attached to therod 40, the character 42 indicating a further collar attached to the rod40.

Positioned between the collar 42 and the angle member 38 is a coiledhelical spring 43 which receives the rod 46, the rod being pivotallyattached at 44 to a control lever 45 which is pivoted at 46 to an anglemember 47 which is secured at 48 to one end of one of the members 110,the pivoting point at 46 comprising a suitable bolt 49 passing throughthe lever member 45, the lever member 45 including a small extendingnipple 50 which is adapted to be received in an indented portion 51 inthe angle member 47 when the lever is in neutral position, the character52 indicating a helical compression spring bearing against the anglemember 47, the character 53 indicating nuts attached to the end of thebolt 49, this arrangement serving to keep the lever 45 in a tensionedcondition.

The character 54 indicates a stop member which is welded to the anglemember 47, the character 55 indicating a further stop member.

The rod 46 is threaded as at 56 and includes the nuts 57 attachedthereto at either side of a bent portion 58 which terminates the link59, the link 59 being pivotally attached at 66 to a lever 61 which issecured at 62 to a member 63, the member 63 being concave as at 64 andbeing snugly engaged with the further convex surface 65 of a brakingelement 66, which element 66 includes the circular braking discs 67, thecharacter 68 indicating (see FIGURES 3 and 4) a further braking memberhaving similar discs.

The portion 63 is suitably pivoted on the bolt 69, which bolt passesthrough a supporting bracket 76, the character 71 indicating compressionsprings receiving the bolt 69, the bolt 69 being further secured at 72to the further member 68.

The character 73 indicates a further bolt passing through the members 66and 68 and including the compression washers 74 bearing against thebracket member 76. The character 71a indicates a machine screwthreadably engaged with the member 68 and which machine screw passesthrough the member 76 and bears against the member 66 at 75 so as toprovide adjustment at this point. The bracket 7% is suitably secured asat 76 to the member it The device operates in the following manner.Since the motor 15 will drive the pulley 20 and the transmission 21,which in turn will drive the sprockets 27 and 29 to thereby drive thereel 30, the reel thence exerting the proper lifting effort on the cable35, the arrangement will then function for whatever purpose desired.

For engaging the member 37 with the ratchet teeth 34, the lever 45 isswung in the direction of the arrow 77 to the dotted position shown inFIGURE 2, where the lever will abut against the stop member 54, and inthis position, the member 37 will act as a pawl against the ratchetteeth 34 which are rotating in the direction of the arrow 78, and thespring 43 will also exert pressure against the angle member 38 toprovide the proper tension to maintain the pawl and ratchet arrangement,and the arrangement will also provide means for preventing, reversemotion of the ratchet 33 since the portion 79 of the member 37 willengage the surfaces 86 of the teeth for this purpose, to thereby providea safety feature, etc.

For providing a braking action against the ratchet 33, the lever 45 isswung in the direction of the arrow 81 to the dotted position shownwhereby the lever 45 will abut against the abutment portion 55 and atthis stage the curved portion 63 will be rotated sufficiently so thatthe end 82 of the curved portion 63 will be spring urged against theraised portion 83 of the convex surface 65,

which will thereby force the braking member 66 toward the ratchet 33whereby the surfaces 67 will bear against the outer periphery of themember 33 to provide the braking action when desired, which can beregulated by the operator, who can force the lever 45 in the directionof the arrow 81 to whatever extent he desires. As a result, it will benoted that the operator has a control member which can be positioned ina neutral position, in a ratchet-engaging position, or a brakingposition by the use of the single mechanism described, and he can thencontrol the winch in this manner effectively.

It will now be seen that we have provided the advantages mentioned inthe objects of our invention with further advantages being apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of our invention without departing from the real spirit andpurpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claimsany modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents whichmay be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim as our invention:

1. A power winch control comprising a framework, a toothed ratchetmounted in said framework, a reel attached to said ratchet, a pawlpivotally secured to said framework and adapted to engage said ratchet,said pawl including an extending portion attached thereto, a rod passingthrough said extending portion, a spring receiving said rod, a collarattached to said rod bearing against said spring for urging said pawlagainst the teeth of said ratchet, a braking element adapted to engagesaid ratchet, said rod being secured to said braking element, a leverpivotally attached to said rod, a post to which said lever is pivoted,abutment members attached to said post for limiting movement of saidlever, movement of said lever toward said pawl causing said pawl toengage said ratchet teeth, movement of said lever away from said pawlcausing braking action of said braking element with said ratchet.

2. A power winch control comprising a framework, a toothed ratchetmounted in said framework, a reel attached to said ratchet, a pawlpivotally secured to said framework and adapted to engage said ratchet,said pawl including an extending portion attached thereto, a rod passingthrough said extending portion, a spring receiving said rod, a collarattached to said rod bearing against said spring for urging said pawlagainst the teeth of said ratchet, a braking element adapted to engagesaid ratchet, said rod being secured to said braking element, a leverpivotally attached to said rod, a post to which said lever is pivoted,abutment members attached to said post for limiting movement of saidlever, movement of said lever toward said pawl causing said pawl toengage said ratchet teeth, movement of said lever away from said pawlcausing braking action of said braking element with said ratchet, saidbraking element including a convex surface, a further lever attached tosaid rod including a concave portion receiving said convex portion, saidbraking element including a pair of opposed braking members includingbraking surfaces adapted to engage said ratchet, a bracket supportingsaid braking element.

3. A power winch control comprising a framework, a toothed ratchetmounted in said framework, a reel attached to said ratchet, a pawlpivotally secured to said framework and adapted to engage said ratchet,said pawl including an extending portion attached thereto, a rod passingthrough said extending portion, a spring receiving said rod, a collarattached to said rod bearing against said spring for urging said pawlagainst the teeth of said ratchet, a braking element adapted to engagesaid ratchet, said rod being secured to said braking element, a leverpivotally attached to said rod, a post to which said lever is pivoted,abutment members attached to said post for limiting movement of saidlever, movement of said lever toward said pawl causing said pawl toengage said ratchet teeth, movement of said lever away from said pawlcausing braking action of said braking element with said ratchet, saidbraking element including a convex surface, a further lever attached tosaid rod including a concave portion receiving said convex portion, saidbraking element including a pair of opposed braking members includingbraking surfaces adapted to engage said ratchet, a bracket supportingsaid braking element, means for driving said reel including a sprocketattached thereto, a sprocket chain engaging said sprocket, a furthersprocket engaging said sprocket chain, means for driving said furthersprocket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,671,880 3/1954Symonds 254-186 3,083,675 4/1963 Rice 254186 FOREIGN PATENTS 600,71412/1959 Italy.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A POWER WINCH CONTROL COMPRISING A FRAMEWORK, A TOOTHED RATCHETMOUNTED IN SAID FRAMEWORK, A REEL ATTACHED TO SAID RATCHET, A PAWLPIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID FRAMEWORK AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID RATCHET,SAID PAWL INCLUDING AN EXTENDING PORTION ATTACHED THERETO, A ROD PASSINGTHROUGH SAID EXTENDING PORTION, A SPRING RECEIVING SAID ROD, A COLLARATTACHED TO SAID ROD BEARING AGAINST SAID SPRING FOR URGING SAID PAWLAGAINST THE TEETH OF SAID RATCHET, A BRAKING ELEMENT ADAPTED TO ENGAGESAID RATCHET, SAID ROD BEING SECURED TO SAID BRAKING ELEMENT, A LEVERPIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID ROD, A POST TO WHICH SAID LEVER IS PIVOTED,ABUTMENT MEMBERS ATTACHED TO SAID POST FOR LIMITING MOVEMENT OF SAIDLEVER, MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER TOWARD SAID PAWL CAUSING SAID PAWL TOENGAGE SAID RATCHET TEETH, MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER AWAY FROM SAID PAWLCAUSING BRAKING ACTION OF SAID BRAKING ELEMENT WITH SAID RATCHET.